I was taught from childhood that the first thing you do when you get out of bed in the morning is brush your teeth. Later in life, I found out that many people don't brush their teeth until after breakfast. I found that repulsive. I can't imagine even taking a sip of water before brushing.

I wake up, drink my coffee, eat breakfast, and then brush. Toothpaste makes food and drink taste either off or downright bad (ever taken a sip of orange juice after brushing?) and my main goal in brushing is to avoid lingering and festering flavors and bad breath. Brushing before accomplishes neither of those.

I voted "after breakfast" because most days that's what I do. Occasionally I fall asleep without brushing my teeth at night. On those mornings after the taste of my own mouth bothers me and so I'll brush to get rid of that, and then brush again after breakfast so breakfast isn't just sitting on my teeth.

Also, on occasions when I'm going out for breakfast I'll brush before leaving the house. I keep toothpaste and a toothbrush at work so I can brush after breakfast if I've eaten it on the way in.

Since I brush my teeth before going to bed, there shouldn't be anything in my mouth to attack my teeth or my breath during the night, so when I get up in the morning there's nothing "repulsive" about my mouth that a little rinsing out with water won't fix.

ETA: After breakfast, I may or may not brush or chew some sugarless gum, depending on how much time I have and whether I have any breakfast stuck to my teeth.

The problem with brushing before breakfast is one of the ingredients they put in the toothpaste: sodium lauryl sulfate, a foaming agent. The stuff absolutely ruins the taste of orange juice. Yuck. I'm guessing you don't take orange juice at breakfast?

What I do is rinse my mouth with plain water, as many times as needed, on first rising in the morning.

Edit: I brush after breakfast; I'd think that went without saying, except I see there are votes for never brushing in the morning. That's disgusting.

I brush first thing in the morning. Breakfast is either a biscuit sammich at the office or, on weekends, going out to eat. There's no way I'd go out in public without brushing - in fact, I need to brush first thing - can't stand the taste of my mouth.

I seem to have been born with good teeth - I rarely floss, I pretty much brush just once a day, and my twice-a-year dental cleanings are quick and painless. If I wasn't so lucky, I can see me brushing constantly...

I used to brush after breakfast because I thought the lingering taste of toothpaste would ruin my breakfast. Then I started living in a dorm, where I would go to the cafeteria for breakfast and then head straight to class, so for a while I didn't even brush in the morning.

Then someone told me as long as I didn't drink orange juice, breakfast tasted just fine after brushing my teeth. I discovered they were right, and ever since then I've brushed before breakfast.

Since I brush my teeth before going to bed, there shouldn't be anything in my mouth to attack my teeth or my breath during the night, so when I get up in the morning there's nothing "repulsive" about my mouth that a little rinsing out with water won't fix.

ETA: After breakfast, I may or may not brush or chew some sugarless gum, depending on how much time I have and whether I have any breakfast stuck to my teeth.

Aren't you lucky. My morning breath is rank, despite brushing well every night.

I always brush my teeth as soon as I wake up, because my mouth feels gross and I need to get rid of that feeling. I don't usually have breakfast until a half hour or so later, if at all, and I have a mint on the way to work to kill some of the coffee breath.

Google 'brushing immediately after meals' and you can pick and choose which sites you want to believe.

I generally eat at work, so I brush immediately after I wake up.

I was once on a trip with friend and we were sharing a hotel room. He didn't brush when we got up because we were going downstairs for breakfast. I'm not sure how you could face a waiter or waitress knowing you had morning breath until you could brush later.

I snack on some carrots and grape tomatoes and maybe some fruit at work at about 9:00. The last thing I do before leaving home in the morning is brush. (Well, technically the last thing is putting on my shoes.)

I was once on a trip with friend and we were sharing a hotel room. He didn't brush when we got up because we were going downstairs for breakfast. I'm not sure how you could face a waiter or waitress knowing you had morning breath until you could brush later.

I'm not sure how you could face a breakfast companion with morning breath.

After breakfast. Those people who complain of "yucky morning mouth" probably have some dental disease or don't brush (properly) before going to bed if their mouth really feels repulsive after waking up.

I have also heard about the "brushing after eating damages your teeth" but I haven't had any problems since I stopped drinking soda 6 years ago (I now drink milk, which has sugar in it but a lot less, plus calcium and isn't acidic; I rarely eat acidic foods, at least those that are obviously acidic).

After breakfast. Those people who complain of "yucky morning mouth" probably have some dental disease or don't brush (properly) before going to bed if their mouth really feels repulsive after waking up.

What about the people you are eating with? Even if you don't feel yucky morning mouth, your breath definitely stinks.

It depends.
I have no set schedule for when I get up, when I go to bed, etc.
If I have an early am dog walk I may just rush out the door without doing any morning routine. If I have time I will brush before, if not then it can wait until I get back home.
Sometimes I eat breakfast, some days I don't.
If I'm really hungry I will eat first, otherwise I brush my teeth first.
Kind of like taking a shower/bath. Depends on if/when I have to go out.
Early morning walks get the unwashed/unbrushed me. Dogs seem to like me better than way anyway.

After breakfast. Those people who complain of "yucky morning mouth" probably have some dental disease or don't brush (properly) before going to bed if their mouth really feels repulsive after waking up.

I have also heard about the "brushing after eating damages your teeth" but I haven't had any problems since I stopped drinking soda 6 years ago (I now drink milk, which has sugar in it but a lot less, plus calcium and isn't acidic; I rarely eat acidic foods, at least those that are obviously acidic).

After breakfast. Those people who complain of "yucky morning mouth" probably have some dental disease or don't brush (properly) before going to bed if their mouth really feels repulsive after waking up.

There's this stuff called plaque that builds up on the surfaces of teeth and tongue during the night, which can decay your teeth. I've used a Sonicare brush morning and night for about 10 years; I can assure you it's no dental disease or caused by a lack of brushing before bed.

The idea of eating, conversing, kissing my wife or otherwise interacting before I've brushed my teeth in the morning is sort of disgusting. After I eat, I usually take a swig of Listerine, swish & spit to release any food particles and get rid of food breath.

There's this stuff called plaque that builds up on the surfaces of teeth and tongue during the night, which can decay your teeth. I've used a Sonicare brush morning and night for about 10 years; I can assure you it's no dental disease or caused by a lack of brushing before bed.

The idea of eating, conversing, kissing my wife or otherwise interacting before I've brushed my teeth in the morning is sort of disgusting. After I eat, I usually take a swig of Listerine, swish & spit to release any food particles and get rid of food breath.

How does plaque form if there isn't anything for the bacteria to feed on (as it says here; "In order to create plaque, your mouth needs bacteria, carbohydrates, food particles and saliva", and on other dental web sites)? Or, why does it only seem to happen in some people; I've never noticed bad breath or furry teeth when I wake up, unless I didn't brush before going to bed.

After breakfast, assuming I have breakfast. I don't wake up with a stinky mouth for some reason, I know others do. However I don't have an early morning breakfast often. I'm more likely to go out for brunch, so I'll shower and go through the ritual for that.

I've met a few people who brush first thing when they wake up, and it just doesn't make sense to me. I brushed immediately before I went to bed, even if I slept for 8-10 hours, that still leaves 14-16 hours between brushes when I'm awake. On top of that, I didn't eat or drink anything while I was asleep, other than maybe some water, so my mouth is going to be a lot cleaner before eating breakfast than, say, when I'm eating dinner, after having been awake for longer and had breakfast and lunch as well since the last time I'd brushed. I'd much rather eat breakfast and have clean teeth and fresh breath for at least the first part of the day and not immediately undo the brushing I just did. It just flat out seems more hygenic.

Moreover, toothpaste tends to have a fairly strong mint flavor which will linger. I have eaten after brushing, and things tend to taste a little off, though a good rinse will fix most of it. As for it being gross eating without brushing, I only get that gross morning mouth if I've been sick--though, I'd brush immediately after if I actually threw up--so things don't taste off, and if it does, I'll just rinse or have some juice or something.

So, yeah, I just don't see the point in brushing right away. Even if there are nasty germs growing in my mouth moreso overnight, how will 5-10 minutes of eating breakfast first make it really any worse in a way that eating and not brushing after wouldn't be at least as bad?

99.9% of the time I do not eat breakfast. I just drink a glass of water and run out the door.

I do brush my teeth before drinking the water. I've had an intermittent problem for about 5 years with vomiting up the water sometimes, and brushing seems to reduce that. But, it's just water. If I were actually going to eat something (1-2x per year), I'd brush after. I don't want my food tasting like toothpaste, and I hate the sensation of eating with freshly brushed teeth. It's like taking a shower and then going to bed on dirty sheets.

Brushing before breakfast is just weird, and would make breakfast taste horrible. By the time you've had a cup of strong coffee, your morning breath is going to be masked by coffee breath anyway Acsenray, do you also brush after breakfast?

This issue has caused a number of heated discussions at my house. Mr.Q brushes before breakfast. I think it's disgusting to spend the entire day with breakfast rotting on your teeth. I brush afterward, like all rational people.

Quote:

Originally Posted by corkboard

The idea of eating, conversing, kissing my wife or otherwise interacting before I've brushed my teeth in the morning is sort of disgusting. After I eat, I usually take a swig of Listerine, swish & spit to release any food particles and get rid of food breath.

The idea of conversing, kissing, or otherwise interacting in the breakfast hour is as repulsive as brushing teeth before breakfast.

As I said before, I rinse my mouth with water after breakfast. If I've eaten something substantial, like eggs, I might use mouthwash.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetsQ

The idea of conversing, kissing, or otherwise interacting in the breakfast hour is as repulsive as brushing teeth before breakfast.

It's hard to avoid any face-to-face confrontation at all, isn't it? If nothing else, inevitably, one of us is going to breathe in the direction of the other, and, so far as I am concerned, it should not be with non-brushed mouth.

What about the people you are eating with? Even if you don't feel yucky morning mouth, your breath definitely stinks.

Seriously. My man friend is adamently in the "brush after breakfast" camp, which I don't really have a problem with - until we're traveling together, and I am treated to his AM stench mouth for hours sometimes, depending on flights and when he can actually get his precious brekky. I don't know why he insists on being so fixated on this habit or pattern, especially when he knows that I can't stand to smell his morning breath. Dude, do whatever you need to when I'm not around, but could you just brush before eating ONCE so I don't have to spend the next 3 hours downwind of your stank mouth? I once insisted he go into his bag and retrieve his brush and paste, and go brush in the airport restroom, or I'd have to request another seat on the flight. Jeeeze, it's just brushing, be a little considerate.

Me, I'm one of the later eaters - I take some meds that need to go in on an empty stomach, so that goes in first, then a cup of coffee while I'm getting ready, then brush. I pack breakfast (usually breakfast biscuits and yogurt) with lunch, and always rinse with water during and after. Have a brush and floss at work if needed as well. My motives are twofold: maintain my own mouth and not disgust everyone I'm in contact with.

I brush right after I get out of bed in the morning, thanks to my family where everyone brushed their teeth, immediately upon getting up. I used to water rinse after eating, when I was a kid. But now I brush after every meal, except in unavoidable circumstances.

It's hard to avoid any face-to-face confrontation at all, isn't it? If nothing else, inevitably, one of us is going to breathe in the direction of the other, and, so far as I am concerned, it should not be with non-brushed mouth.

Is everyone's mouth really that putrid in the morning? Have my wife and I got especially underdeveloped senses of smell? We regularly talk to each other, kiss each other and even very occasionally, if by some miracle our daughter has decided to sleep in, have sex before breakfast and before brushing our teeth. Neither of us runs gagging from the other.

Brushing is normally the 1st thing in the morning after getting up, though checking email in bed usually now procedes that. Coffee soon follows - this takes care of the off taste toothpaste gives to food and OJ.

Is everyone's mouth really that putrid in the morning? Have my wife and I got especially underdeveloped senses of smell? We regularly talk to each other, kiss each other and even very occasionally, if by some miracle our daughter has decided to sleep in, have sex before breakfast and before brushing our teeth. Neither of us runs gagging from the other.

There, I said it.

My guess is that you have gotten used to each other's stink. Bring a third party into the situation, and you'll have a reaction.

I brush first thing in the morning. It wakes me up and it does get rid of that sleepy mouth smell. It is so ingrained in me that it positively disgusts me when I see romantic couples in movies/shows wake up and start kissing each other. Blech. Yuck. I can't even describe how much it turns my stomach, and whoops! a romantic moment is utterly, utterly, ruined.